Iran hangs two men for mugging

Iran hanged two men yesterday for their role in an assault that was filmed and posted on YouTube.

A 37-second video posted on YouTube in December and later shown on Iranian state television showed four masked men approaching the victim on motorcycles, and then two of them assaulting him, taking his bag and jacket. One of the attackers appeared to be wielding a long knife or machete.

The attack prompted public outrage, and officials vowed to punish those responsible. Alireza Mafiha and Mohammad Ali Sorouri were hanged early yesterday in the Iranian capital, Tehran, according to the ISNA new agency.

They were convicted of “moharebe”, or waging war against God, which under Iran’s interpretation of Islamic law is punishable by death. Their sentence was issued by a Revolutionary Court in late December.

Two accomplices were sentenced to ten years in prison and 74 lashes, ISNA reported.